BENGALURU: Residents of North Bengaluru on Sunday hugged trees and formed a human chain around them on Sunday to express their concern over the proposed felling of 1,128 trees for the 2.2 km Hebbal Short Tunnel Project, demanding a meaningful public consultation before such large-scale removal of trees. They said the environmental toll seems disproportionate to the benefits of such a short stretch of road.
“The short tunnel is being built using the cut-and-cover method, involving extensive excavation that passes from one green pocket to another. The tree park under the flyover will affect a large number of native trees, the hydrologically sensitive Hebbal Lake buffer zone, the Veterinary College campus, a significant institutional green space and the UAS staff quarters. These are not isolated avenue trees, but interconnected green spaces that support urban wildlife and biodiversity, while also serving as vital green lungs for the city,” one of the protesters said.
They said the number of species affected is very high – more than 70 – including native trees such as Fig, Mahua, Champak, Indian Almond, Indian Gooseberry, Dinnerplate Tree; beautiful flowering avenue trees like Jacaranda, Copperpods, Tabebuias, False Ashokas and fruit trees such as Jackfruit, Mango, Jamun and Gooseberry.
The city residents said that North Bangalore has already lost most of its old trees, and now even what remains is being destroyed at such a large scale. They warned that the cumulative loss of green cover from the past, present and upcoming infrastructure projects around Hebbal Lake alone is enormous.
Environmentalist Peter Wohlleben said, “Trees act as huge air filters and filter out pollutants like soot, dust and pollen. As Bangalore’s air quality has deteriorated over the years. One cannot overemphasise the impacts of these huge trees in keeping the air clean. As an asthmatic who also has a child with asthma, the air quality directly impacts our ability to breathe as well as multiple indicators of health and well-being. The loss of these trees so close to our home in North Bengaluru will be catastrophic for our health.”
“I am concerned about what the project means for North Bengaluru, the loss of green cover, its impact on the lake and surrounding ecosystem and the potential consequences for traffic and flooding. A project of this scale will affect the lives of so many people, and I believe there needs to be a proper public consultation before moving forward,” said Sreeparna Chattopadhyay, a medical anthropologist who is also an associate professor at Manipal Law School.
Public consultation before large-scale tree felling, public access to the environmental impact assessment and access to the affected sites so that citizens can see and document the trees under threat are the key demands of the city residents.
